The horror film icon admits he read a newspaper article about a boy who was so scared of his dreams he refused to sleep - and when he finally became too tired to stay awake, he died.

“I had read this newspaper account about a kid who was so convinced someone was trying to kill him in his dreams, he refused to go to sleep,” the Daily Express quoted the director as telling USA Today.

“One night he finally did, woke up screaming and was dead before his parents got to him,” he explained further.

“That got me to thinking that this would make the perfect movie,” the director concluded. (ANI)